Chryed Brighton
by Mushroom Hair
Summary: I can see the sea
1. Chapter 1

**_For Cazzieb2705, Crazysusan, PoppyMay and Surreal, and everyone on WFCTGIO :) xxxxx_**

* * *

"They won't break anything will they?"

Christian punched in his pin number into the card reader, smiling a thank you to the man behind the glass screen of the booth as he pushed their tickets through. He held one out to Syed.

"Don't lose it."

Looking at him with narrowed eyes, Syed grunted;

"I'll staple it to my forehead. Why would they break anything?"

"Good plan. They might have a party, advertise it on Matesgate, have thousands of gatecrashers turn up…"

As they neared the foot of the stairs, Syed decided he was already bored of carrying his overnight bag and affected a stumble and an exclamation, knowing that Christian wouldn't be able to resist the opportunity to show off his strength.

"Ooof! Packed too many pants…"

" You won't have those on for long, if I've got anything to do with it. Give it here, you delicate flower.."

Inwardly giggling, and admiring the ease with which Christian hoisted the bag across his back, Syed tucked his fingers into the back pocket of Christian's jeans and trekked up behind him.

"Ten minutes until the next tube. We should have left earlier, can never rely on this poxy service.." Syed moaned.

He wandered down the platform and plonked himself down on the red metal bench, watching Christian as he sauntered towards him, setting sun behind his head, the orange glow making him seem like a mythical beast, a fantastic phoenix rising from a fire.

"What are you looking so happy about? You were whinging about London Underground a minute ago. Budge up.."

"You. You've been so thoughtful, and you look glorious…"

Touched, Christian kissed him slowly and Syed felt himself surrender to the sweetest sensation, a liquidity in his veins, a knowledge that for a few hours it could just be the two of them together and they could leave the confines of Walford behind, a brief escape from the sadness his parents kept thrusting upon him. Christian broke away and dispelled the mood by tetchily asking;

"But will they? Wreck the place?"

"This is my brother you're talking about, you know what he's like. His idea of a good time is a few precious moments without having his ear chewed off by my mother.."

"But if it gets out of hand? Afia looks like she has a wild side.."

Syed grunted and rolled his eyes.

"She likes to pretend she has a wild side, I'm not sure that would extend to inviting a horde of strangers to our flat for a night of drunken, drugged, debauchery. Are you sure you're not projecting your fantasies?"

Opening and shutting his mouth to utter an outraged protest, Christian saw Syed's mildly enquiring face turned towards him and realised he actually didn't care, he was off for a night away with the person he loved most in the world, Tamwar and Afia's hypothetical gatecrashers could burn the square down, he'd deal with it if it happened.

"Let them do their worst.."

"Crumbs on the carpet, a ring on the table from the bottom of a glass of orange juice. Are you relaxing yet, Mr. Coiled Spring?"

Ruffling Syed's hair, Christian laughed and picked up the bag.

"Yep, but I might need a massage when we get to the hotel. Tube's coming.."

* * *

"Why does that fucking tube always get stuck in a tunnel? We've only got five minutes now, and I wanted a Cappuccino…."

"Now who's whinging about the underground? I'll get you one at the other end.." Syed touched Christian's arm gently and pointed up at the departures board. "…that is if you beat me there, platform 16, eat my dust, sucker!" And he bounded away, racing full pelt across the concourse with Christian hot on his heels.

"You will never win, ever.. Here's two together, do you want the window seat? Oops, sorry.." Flashing a charming beam of contrition at the disgruntled commuter he had just bashed on the leg, Christian heaved the bag onto the luggage rack and stood back to let a panting Syed squeeze past.

"One day I will, I've got youth on my side.."

"Cheeky bastard. Even with the rucksack, I still trounced you, and I'm not the one puffing like a steam engine."

"Ha! At least I don't remember steam engines, and the bag weighs nothing.. Ah.."

Syed bit his lip and gave an impish smile, ducking as Christian made to pull his hair.

"You are so going to get it, Syed Masood."

Settling into his seat, Syed picked up a discarded Hello magazine from the seat beside him before Christian could sit on it, and handed it over.

"I should hope so. Look what I found you, you'll have to forgive me now, pages of glossy shallowness to delight your senses and make you tut and mutter about the state of modern culture.."

"Yay! I'm still going to give you a hard time, a very, very hard time.."

Christian flicked open the front cover and leant companionably against him, grumbling under his breath;

"Look at the state of her!" And Syed smiled, watching the signs on the platform blur past through the grubby train window, as they headed away to the sea.

* * *

"Hassocks!" Remarked Christian, leaning across Syed to peer out of the window.

Syed woke from his snooze with a start and rubbed his eyes.

"Eh? Is that were we are? Nearly there then! Last time I looked we were at Hayward's Heath, which always sounds to me like it should be cockney rhyming slang…"

"Get your Hayward's round me Hassock's,,," Christian sniggered loudly, causing the other inhabitants of the carriage to glance up, their expressions varying from sour to disgusted to bemused. Apart from one elderly lady sitting across the aisle from them, who tittered with a small burst of amusement.

Winking at her, Christian picked up Syed's hand and began to trace idly around the finger nails with his thumb.

"Christian?"

"Mmm?"

"You don't really think they'll wreck the place, do you? It just gives him a bit of breathing space, you must know how bad it gets for him sometimes? They're dead set against him marrying Yusef's daughter, because of the history, and the flat was always a haven to me, well, you were.."

"And now it's your home. Oh whatever, If they do, they do., you can clear it up though. I shouldn't have judged him by how I was at his age."

Closing his fingers tight around Christian's, Syed pulled back slightly and squinted inquisitively.

"Oh yeah? So that's what you would have done, is it? Wild parties in other people's houses?"

"Sounds about right.. " He cast his mind back, contemplating his behaviour. "…Actually, when I was his age I was living in Morocco with a rich American businessman.."

Syed's balked slightly, fractionally loosening his grip on Christian's hand.

"Were you? Ew, that sounds a bit.. Sordid.."

"Does it? He was very sweet, and very old and I made him happy for a while, at least I hope I did, I was mostly off my face. Until I got bored.." Christian gave his head a little shake, dispelling the images of his louche past, the cool feel of a tiled floor against his bare feet, the sibilant sound of cicada's, intense heat on his back, a lizard darting away across a courtyard. He tenderly kissed the top of Syed's hair, luxuriously inhaling the familiar scent of him.

"It was a long time ago. I was a boy, I'm a man now, as I think you might have noticed.." He murmured.

"Yes.." Syed pushed himself closer, felt the train slow, saw the lights of Brighton station glimmer in the distance.

Christian jumped up, his previously reflective mood rapidly transformed to one of excitement.

"Syed we're at the seaside!"

* * *

**_To be continued :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

"Have you seen the size of this wet room? And these are so fluffy!" Christian called excitedly. He appeared in the bedroom, clutching a large towel to his chest.

Syed dragged his gaze away from the lights of a distant cruise ship, moving slowly away beyond the pier, and turned from the window, exulting in Christian's enthusiasm.

"And a king size bed…" He grinned.

"And a swanky bar downstairs, plus the whole of Kemptown just outside the big, revolving, sparkly glass front door. Shall we live here Sy? Tam and Afia can have the flat…"

"And the faint whiff of chip fat, and Ian letting himself in whenever he likes.."

"Do you remember that time?"

Syed began to convulse with laughter.

"His face! Ha Ha! And yours… and when you turned round!"

"Well, you were alright, you had me covering you up. Ha! I loved the way time stood still and then he just walked backwards in slow motion out of the flat and shut the door really, really quietly…"

Helpless, Syed collapsed onto the bed, clutching his sides, tears streaming down his face.

"Haaaaaaaa! And then we went into the chippy and you asked for a battered sausage and two pickled eggs and he couldn't look you in the eye. Ow, ow, it hurts. Christian, this bed is wibbling!"

Christian tried to speak, his voice wheezing out between gusts of laughter.

"It's a, it's a water b.. Ha Ha!" He bounced down beside Syed, sending the surface rippling and they clutched onto each other until their hilarity eventually subsided, and they lay spent and helpless.

"I feel a bit sea sick.."

"Do you? Shit, I didn't think. Do you want me to get them to change our room?"

Christian moved towards the phone on the bedside cabinet, sending a wave across the bed that rocked Syed alarmingly and made him clutch on to Christian's sleeve.

"No, no. It'll be fun, I'll get used to it in a minute. I'll have to keep my eyes on you, you can be my horizon. Who is it you know down here again?"

Settling carefully back down, so as not to cause too many ripples, Christian put his arm around him.

"I told you about five times, weren't you listening?"

"Was it when you'd come out of the shower?"

"Possibly, why?"

"I probably wasn't looking at your mouth, sorry. Tell me again, I'll pay attention."

Christian lifted Syed's hand and began to count out the names on his fingers.

"Rich and Malachi…"

"Who?"

"You met them at Sam and Steve's. Rich wouldn't talk to Malachi for a week afterwards because he kept banging on about how gorgeous you are.."

His brows furrowed in surprise, Syed turned his head to ask;

"Why? Is he blind?"

"Yes, that's it Sy, he's blind. You have no idea how lovely you are do you?"

"If you say so, maybe I might need telling every day? I remember him now, wouldn't let go of me and you were pulling angry faces from across the room.."

"You were very pleased with yourself that night…"

"That might have been down to the extra special performance you felt compelled to give.." Syed smiled mischievously. "…He's very handsome isn't he, argh, Christian!…"

As he dodged Christian's rapid attempt to try and give him a dead leg, the water slooped ominously in the bed beneath him.

"Don't! I'll throw up! You're better, you're better than everyone…Who else?"

"Lise and Jenna, they won't fancy you, on account of your cock, Harry, Chaz. Oh shit, and I suppose Tony might be about, unfortunately. He's an obnoxious twat.."

"Boo to Tony. I know someone lives here…"

Christian looked at him sharply.

"Oh yeah? Am I going to have another Michael sprung on me?"

"You wish, you love him really. No, her name's Alice, we were at Uni together. I wonder how Michael is? He never rang me back that time…"

"He'll be okay, if he's stopped being a jelly head.." Christian began to titter."...You got that genius text though.."

"What? 'Can't ring now, hands full, mouth full, arse full.' ?"

"Haaa! That's the one. Trust me, he'll be fine Sy, he can charm his way out of anything, he'll have broken that poor Rory's heart and moved on by now.."

Syed remained unconvinced.

"Hmm, I'm not so sure. I might try and call him again when we get home. So are we meeting these people? And when? We'd better get ready.."

"I didn't really arrange anything.."

"Didn't you?"

"I wondered if, I mean, we can, I could ring them.. If you're sure you want to?"

"Yeah! If you do.."

Christian bit his lower lip thoughtfully, giving Syed a crooked smile.

"I'd rather spend the time with you, I wanted it to be just us, take your mind off things…"

"Party animal Clarke? Blimey!"

"We'll go out though, eh? There's live acts at the Tin Drum, Revenge.."

"The world is our lobster. We need a walk along the beach too.."

"Oh yeah? The nudist one?" Christian raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"At night? In April? Everything would be shrivelled.. Come on you.."

Syed edged cautiously across the bed, focusing on the length of Christian's supine body as he stood upright, to stop the room spinning.

"…Show me this massive wet room."


	3. Chapter 3

"He so wanted you.."

"He so wasn't getting me.." Syed dodged through the crowds that thronged the seafront, pulling Christian along by the hand. Groups of men and women strolled along, many laughing, some pouting and showing themselves off in the hope of attracting a partner for the night, or maybe forever.

They paused and leant over the balustrade, gazing down across the moonlit beach towards the calm sea.

"He was pretty though, and fit. Don't you think?" Christian asked pointedly.

"Was he? Can't say I'd noticed.." Syed smiled at the feel of Christian relaxing beside him, knowing he had given the desired response.

"Anyway.." He continued. "..I was too busy trying not to slip in the pile of drool that was dripping from the mouths of that lot by the bar, every time you walked past.. Did you really need the toilet that much? Do you need your prostate checking?"

Christian uttered a low chuckle.

"Well, if you're offering. It was only twice, and I had to make sure you noticed, just in case you got tempted by your little stalker.."

"As if. So was that Tony we had to keep hiding from?"

"Oh yes."

Recollecting the way Christian had kept ducking and pulling him to the other side of the club, Syed laughed.

"That mesh affair he was wearing was quite.."

"Awful?" Christian suggested. "You should see his floor length see through mac, actually, no, you shouldn't, it might turn you straight. Still at least it probably kept him cool.."

He pulled at the collar of his green T shirt.

"..I'm dripping. How come you don't look sweaty?"

"My dance moves weren't quite as energetic as yours?"

"Mmm, swaying around your man bag.."

"Fuck off, I was dodging your flailing shapes…"

Quickly side stepping a well aimed dig in the ribs, Christian headed for the steps that led down onto the beach.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll show you the best way to skim stones.."

* * *

"Ha! Six. Take that…" Syed raised his arms in triumph.

"Bloody wasn't. How can you tell? I saw four.."

"Oooh, bad loser! Teach me to skim stones indeed. Face it, you're trounced!"

Further along the beach , a group of people had built a bonfire and they could hear the faint jangle of someone playing a guitar, the notes mixing with the distant busy hubbub of the Kemptown nightlife, blending into the alternate hiss and rattle as the waves drew back the pebbles at their feet.

Smiling, Christian watched Syed. He seemed to gleam in the light of the moon, his white shirt silvered and ghostly, a sea fret sweeping tendrils of hair across his forehead.

"Maybe I let you win.." He said gently, his eyes softening with desire.

Syed tilted his head to one side and looked up at him, his stillness mirroring Christian's.

"You wish. Maybe I demand a prize.."

Christian glanced over Syed's shoulder, saw the metal struts of the pier rising starkly, some way behind them, and grabbed Syed's waist.

"Here.." He murmured.

* * *

Breathless, Syed felt the rough rust of the girder press through his shirt. He raised his mouth to receive Christian's, returning his need with the same urgency, fumbling for his zip. He was aware of other shadowy figures, huddled together, as they were, wrapped around each other, footsteps echoing above them across the hollow wooden boards, while the water sucked and eddied as the tide crept up the shore.

Gasping and spent, Christian smoothed Syed's hair away from his face.

" 'The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair.."

" ' Ah love, let us be true to one another'…" Syed began to buckle Christian's belt for him.

".. Technically, wrong beach.."

Christian fastened the buttons on Syed's shirt, smoothing away the creases with tenderness.

"Poetry, you've got me quoting poetry, for god's sake. See what you do to me?"

"I think you just showed me. Oh, I wish we were here for longer." A sadness crept insidiously through Syed's muscles, making him quiet for a moment.

"We'll come again, for longer. In the summer. Hey! What's wrong?" Christian noticed him sag, saw his head droop dejectedly.

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfect, and it scares me…"

Feeling him shiver, Christian wrapped his arms around him protectively and guided him up the beach, their tread sliding as the shingle scrunched beneath them.

"Let's get warm, tell me about it at the hotel…"


	4. Chapter 4

Christian paused in the doorway and regarded Syed, sitting in a chair by the window, wrapped up tight in one of the hotel dressing gowns, his hair still wet from the shower. He was toying listlessly with a piece of headed notepaper, and Christian felt his heart swell with love and concern at his quietness.

"What's up baby? Everything's going so well, you've got the new salon to look forward to. The future's bright! Is it your parents again?"

Looking up at the sound of his voice, Syed face lit with a slow smile.

"Really, nothing. I'm just so happy, here, away from everything. I got to thinking…"

"Bad mistake…." Christian sat on the bed, adjusting himself with surprise at the movement of the water, realising he had forgotten it was there.

"…What about?"

"Earlier, when you mentioned Morocco.."

Christian snorted in disbelief.

"You're not worried about that, surely? It was a lifetime ago.."

"I know, I know. But your rich banker. Did he love you? Did he think you'd be there forever?"

"I very much doubt it, I was one in a line of many. Rod was never short of a silly pretty boy to keep him company."

"Rod?" Syed stifled a giggle, and Christian smiled, relieved at the slight improvement in his mood.

"Rod Hackenbacker the third. I may have made 'the third' bit up. Did you know Hackenbacker was Brains from Thunderbirds real name?"

"I have never had the need for this information, no.."

"See, I'm very educational, you can't say I don't teach you anything. Where was I? It was purely symbiotic, he got to perve at me, which is pretty much all he was capable of, and I got to lounge about all summer getting the best tan of my life, living in a beautiful house, in a beautiful country."

"But the others, the life you led, the life Michael leads. You never miss it?"

Christian crossed over to Syed, kneeling down on the floor in front of his chair, he took hold of both of his hands and kissed the palms of each in turn. Opening candid eyes wide, he shook his head.

"Not for a moment. You forget, I was pretty much alone in the world. I'd alienated my family, I was proud, narcissistic, full of attitude. I didn't do love, because it scared me, having to surrender everything to one person, place my trust in them. Michael isn't the same as I was, there are similarities, granted, but my world was subtly different, the prejudices were more overt then. I behaved the way I did because I could, because I wanted to, I was the one in control. That poor idiot can't help himself at the moment, he's like a kid in a sweet shop, and why wouldn't he be? As long as he can get away with it, if it makes him happy. One day he may tire of it, want to make a different life, realise that there is another way. Or maybe it will always be enough for him. It wasn't for me.. God, I sound like an old fart."

Gently pulling away one of his hands from Christian's grasp, Syed stroked it across his hair.

"You are an old fart.."

"Up yours. But do you understand? I was waiting for a change, yearning for it, someone to make the barricades fall down. And along came you. Yay!"

He kissed the end of Syed's nose and stared intently into his eyes, checking to see a happier brightness.

"I don't want this to ever end…" Syed rested his forehead against Christian's and pulled a face. "Am I being a twat? I just feel sometimes it isn't possible to be this happy without there being a price to pay.."

"But we already paid the price, look at what we had to go through to get here, we deserve this, it's our reward.."

"It's been a perfect night."

"Heaven help me if you have a crap one then…" Christian opened one of the sash windows wide and sniffed at the cool air that blew in.

"… We can hear and smell the sea.."

He led Syed wordlessly to the bed and turned off the lights. They lay wrapped in each others arms, listening to the incessant pulse of the waves on the beach, the plaintive wail of a distant fog horn soothing them both to sleep.

* * *

"It's going to be a lovely day, damn it. Christian, do we really have to go home?"

Syed took a large lick from his ice cream cone and pouted sulkily.

"We could ring up and cancel our clients.." Christian suggested hopefully and put on his sunglasses, against the unexpected brightness of the early morning sun.

Plaintively scanning the seafront, noticing the activity on the pier, booths opening, a fairground ride slowly rotating into life, Syed shrugged his shoulders.

"Nah, we've got money to earn. Like you said, we'll come again. Let's plan it when we get back, maybe in June…"

He held out the ice cream to share, and Christian revelled in the joy that now filled his eyes, the regained hope for a bright future. But, as the cold from the ice cream jagged against a sensitive tooth, he felt a sudden unwarranted fear grip at his heart, a portent of doom, a fleeting vision of a life without Syed that shook him like a punch to the soul.

"I'll never leave you, Sy."

Surprised, Syed grinned and mumbled through a mouthful of wafer;

"I should hope not! I'll never leave you either, not if I can help it. Anyway, you'd probably drag me back… Are we walking to the station? We can go through The Lanes. This bag's a bit heavy.."

"Give it here..."

* * *

**_Thank you lovelies :) Hope you liked it, sorry it went on a bit, got away from me again! :D xxxxxx_**


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